The 3rd and 4th of April 2026 bring two major decisions on the Anthropic side: a policy change that removes third-party tool access from Claude Pro and Max subscriptions, along with the release of Claude Code v2.1.92. On the Google side, three new features are announced: the Veo 3.1 Lite video model, the integration of Lyria 3 into the Gemini app, and high-quality video generation in Google Workspace.
Third-party tools excluded from Claude Pro and Max subscriptions
April 3 โ Boris Cherny (PM Claude Code at Anthropic) announced on X that Claude subscriptions (Pro, Max) will no longer cover use via third-party tools accessing Claude through the API.
These tools โ which bypassed the usage limits intended for direct use โ created pressure on the available capacity for all subscribers. The change aims to restore service quality for users accessing Claude directly via claude.ai.
Weโve been working hard to meet the increase in demand for Claude, and our subscriptions werenโt built for the usage patterns of these third-party tools. Capacity is a resource we [need to manage]. โ @bcherny on X
Supporting measures for affected subscribers:
| Measure | Detail |
|---|---|
| One-time credit | Equivalent to the monthly subscription cost |
| Usage bundles | Option to buy API credits at a discounted rate |
| Full refund | Via a link sent by email upon request |
We want to be intentional in managing our growth to continue to serve our customers sustainably long-term. This change is a step toward that. โ @bcherny on X
๐ Thread @bcherny
Claude Code v2.1.92: Bedrock wizard, per-model costs, interactive /release-notes
April 4 โ Claude Code v2.1.92 was released on npm with several improvements for Enterprise teams and Pro users.
New features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
forceRemoteSettingsRefresh | Policy parameter: blocks startup until remote parameters are retrieved (fail-closed mode) |
| Interactive Bedrock assistant | Bedrock setup wizard from the login screen โ guides AWS setup, region, credential verification, and model selection |
| Per-model cost breakdown | /cost now shows the breakdown by model and cache hits for subscribers |
Interactive /release-notes | Becomes an interactive version selector |
| Remote Control session names | Uses the host name as the default prefix (e.g. myhost-graceful-unicorn), configurable via --remote-control-session-name-prefix |
| Expired cache hint (Pro) | Footer message showing how many tokens will be sent uncached during the next turn |
Notable fixes
- Fixed an agent crash when tmux windows are removed or renumbered during a session
- Fixed Stop hooks being incorrectly rejected when the fast model returns
ok:false - Fixed 400 API errors related to empty text blocks produced by extended thinking mode
- Improved Write tool diff speed by 60% on large files
- Removed
/tagand/vimcommands (vim mode is available via/config)
Veo 3.1 Lite: fast video generation at half the price in the API
April 3 โ Google launched Veo 3.1 Lite, a new video generation model available via the Gemini API in Google AI Studio.
| Aspect | Veo 3.1 Lite | Veo 3.1 Fast |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Same | Reference |
| Cost | Half the price | Reference |
| Availability | Gemini API / AI Studio | Gemini API / AI Studio |
This new pricing tier broadens the options for developers with high-volume use cases, where generation speed matters but the budget per request must be controlled.
Google Vids: Veo 3.1 video generation for all Workspace users
April 3 โ High-quality video generation via Veo 3.1 is now available in Google Vids for all Google Workspace users, at no extra cost.
Google Vids is the video creation tool integrated into Workspace. This integration makes it possible to generate presentation, training, or internal communication videos directly in the professional environment, using the same Veo 3.1 model accessible via the API.
Lyria 3 in the Gemini app: multimodal music generation
April 3 โ Google is highlighting the capabilities of Lyria 3, its music generation model, now available in the Gemini app.
Users can compose personalized tracks from three types of inputs:
| Input mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Text | Prompt describing the style, tempo, instruments |
| Photo | An image as visual inspiration |
| Video | A video sequence as reference |
The combination of text, photo, and video for music composition positions Lyria 3 as a music/visual synchronization tool, especially for creators who want to adapt music to existing content.
In brief
Computer use on Windows โ April 2 โ The Computer use feature (computer control by Claude) is now available on Windows in Claude Cowork and Claude Code Desktop, completing the availability already provided on macOS.
Focus mode in Google AI Studio โ April 3 โ Google AI Studio gets a Focus mode allowing targeted editing of specific sections of an AI-generated application, without recompiling the entire project.
Crosscoders โ inter-architecture model comparison โ April 3 โ Anthropic Fellows publishes research on the Cross-Architecture Model Diffing method with Crosscoders: applying the software โdiffโ principle to the analysis of internal representations of open-weight models to identify behaviors specific to each architecture.
๐ arXiv article | Announcement @AnthropicAI
What this means
Anthropicโs decision on subscriptions is the most directly impactful for users. It reveals a structural tension: third-party tools had found a cost-effective way to access Claude through consumer subscriptions, which was not expected in the pricing model. The supporting measures (credit, bundles, refund) show that Anthropic does not want to block these uses, but rather have them contribute to the real cost via the API.
Claude Code v2.1.92 continues the Enterprise direction: fail-closed mode for remote parameters and the interactive Bedrock wizard reduce friction for teams deploying Claude Code in AWS environments. The expired cache hint for Pro subscribers is a useful transparency improvement for controlling costs.
On the Google side, the launch of Veo 3.1 Lite in the API and the Workspace integration of Veo 3.1 follow the same democratization logic: offer multiple cost/quality levels to broaden adoption. Lyria 3 in Gemini adds a multimodal dimension for music creation that complements the video capabilities announced in parallel.
Sources
- @bcherny on X โ subscription policy
- Claude Code v2.1.92 CHANGELOG
- @claudeai on X โ Computer use Windows
- @AnthropicAI on X โ Crosscoders
- Crosscoders โ arXiv
- @GoogleAI on X โ Veo 3.1 Lite, Google Vids, Focus mode
- @Google on X โ Lyria 3 in Gemini
This document was translated from the fr version into the en language using the gpt-5.4-mini model. For more information about the translation process, see https://gitlab.com/jls42/ai-powered-markdown-translator